Still no long term solution to Thames sewage problem

Water chiefs do still not have a long-term plan to deal with the problem sewage and waste water being released into the Thames following last month's storms.

Up to five million tonnes of waste were released into the Thames, triggering fears of a threat to public health and wildlife after two flash floods saw a month's rainfall in a day.

Thames Water told the London Assembly health and public services committee it intends to undertake a year-long study that could provide small scale and short term solutions to ease the overflow and sewage problems.

One possible solution is the Interceptor tunnel, a 20-mile-long pipe which would run under London to deal with excess sewage and rainfall overflow, the Environment Agency told the hearing.

Each year up to 60 overflows of untreated sewage seep into the Thames and the Interceptor could be used to cut them down.

The company has spent £4 million on the study, which revealed that the establishment of this tunnel would take about ten years to build and cost £1.5billion.

Thames Water confirmed that if the Interceptor did go ahead all of this cost would have to be met by bill payers, the committee was told.

This is despite the fact that Thames Water had first-quarter operating earnings of £200m this year and the share prices of its parent company, RWE, have nearly doubled since September 2003 alone.